Inspiring Creativity in Mental Health Programs

A Look at Yesterday, A Vision for Tomorrow

By Marie Sabatino, Program Director, SUS Psychosocial Clubhouse

In the rapidly evolving field of mental health, we are hearing more and more about the benefits of introducing the creative arts to people recovering from mental illness and other co-occurring conditions, such as substance addiction or traumatic experiences. For instance, this past May, the New York State Office of Mental Health launched the webinar, The Healing Power of Art, which emphasized the use of the arts as “a new tool to interpret the expressions of people with mental health problems as a boon rather than pathology.”

Yet despite the recent trends and increased recognition in defense of the arts, I was left to wonder, “What more could we do to promote programs in the creative arts in New York City’s mental health system?” Before I could really begin to attempt to answer this question, I thought that it may help to examine how the relationship between the arts and mental health has evolved over time.

For quite some years now, I’ve had a deep desire to visit the Museum Prinzhorn Collection of artwork at the Psychiatric Hospital, University of Heidelberg, which is just a bit south of Frankfurt, Germany. As a young adult, I had learned about Dr. Prinzhorn’s Collection of 5000 works of art, the majority in pencil or crayons, paintings in oils and watercolors, fabric art, and wood sculptures (pictured)ˡ. These remarkable works were created by nearly 500 psychiatric patients engaged in the arts who were committed in various institutions in Germany, Switzerland and Austria during the earlier part of the twentieth century. This Collection plays a very important role in influencing the eventual emergence of what is known as the “outsider art” arena.

On a bit of a whim, or perhaps a bout of inspiration, I decided to book a trip to Germany to visit the Prinzhorn Museum in Heidelberg this past June. When I arrived alone to this foreign town on a quiet, summer afternoon, I was not exactly sure what to expect. Perhaps, there were even some feelings of apprehension. Would these works of art alarm me, anger me, leave me with a sense of dread, thinking about a time long before this notion of recovery and full integration in society for the severely mentally ill even existed?

But none of this happened. In fact, as soon as I entered the Prinzhorn Museum’s sparkling, glassed-walls and came upon the perfectly-framed entrance², followed by another frame erected in its interior, then another frame, and yet another, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. It was as if the space itself was designed to foster wonder, imagination, exploration and discovery.

One of the most compelling works of art that I had encountered was created by a woman by the name of Agnes Emma Richter (1844-1918). Despite the fact that Ms. Richter was institutionalized against her will for twenty-five years until her death, it seemed that she was able to find some sense of liberation in the deeply personal piece that she created, referred to as, “Thread on Hospital Linen” (pictured)³. Ms. Richter was able to design and create a jacket made from plain, gray cloth, containing embroidered narratives of her life.  Agnes Emma Richter may have lost a sense of freedom within those hospital walls, but she did not lose her “voice.” The intricate text she left behind ensured that Ms. Richter would not be forgotten. Almost one century later, we can still hold her story near to us, we can learn, we can better understand, we can be inspired. We can do better.

At SUS—as people committed to recovery and to the full participation of meaningful life activities among our members—how can we do better? This is a question that our agency’s leadership is in constant dialogue about, among its staff, members and other stakeholders.

Can we inspire someone with a paintbrush, a spoken word performance, or a song and dance. It may even be a needle and thread, a pair of scissors and contact paper, a metal pot and wooden spoon, a handful of tomato seeds, a bit of water and some sunshine. You can explore our website further for even more ideas! SUS has been known to “think outside the box.”

Whatever thinking outside the box means to each of us, let’s be sure that it involves a sense of wonder and imagination, exploration and discovery—without which, life would just be another day gone by. Or, worse, twenty-five years.

ˡ Karl Genzel’s, “Gebrender Christ,” Wood Sculpture

² Prinzhorn Museum Entrance, Heidelberg, Germany

³ Agnes Emma Richter’s, “Thread on Hospital Linen,” Gray Linen, Brown Fabric, Colored Yarn

Other Resources:

New York State Office of Mental Health

Prinzhorn Museum in Heidelberg

20^th Annual Outsider Art Fair in NYC